Yummy popcorn recipes for movie night

Sarah's love of food led her down what she calls "the culinary rabbit hole," leaving her management job to first apprentice on an organic vegetable farm and then to write about and photograph food professionally. Her agricultural backgro...

Sweet and savory homemade popcorn

Make your at-home movie night special by trying out one of these fun popcorn flavors: smoky bacon, salted caramel or cheesy Italian!

We go out to see a movie on occasion, but we usually prefer to stay in and pick out a flick or TV show on Netflix — we don't need to pay a babysitter, we can change into our pajamas and our couch is far comfier than the theater. Oh, and the popcorn is better! We switch up the add-ins based on our moods and try out different and interesting flavor combinations. These three homemade popcorn recipes are some of our favorites to come out of our experimenting.

Smoky bacon popcorn

Makes about 5 cups

Smoky, salty and just slightly spicy, this popcorn has a hint of bacon but doesn't sit heavily.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons melted bacon fat, divided use

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/3 cup popcorn kernels

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat with the paprika.

To a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of bacon fat and 3 popcorn kernels. Top with a lid and give the pot a shake side-to-side to coat the kernels. Once they begin to pop, add the remaining kernels and salt and shake again to coat. When the popcorn starts popping, shake the pot frequently until the popping slows to a couple seconds apart. Remove the lid and immediately pour into a large bowl.

Slowly drizzle the bacon fat and paprika mixture over the popcorn while stirring to evenly coat. Serve immediately.

Salted caramel popcorn

Makes about 8 cups

This super-crunchy popcorn has just enough salt to really set off the complex sweetness of a homemade caramel sauce. Tip: It's an amazing ice cream topping!

Ingredients:

1 cup dark brown sugar

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

2 tablespoon half and half

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon sea or kosher salt

1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil

1/2 cup popcorn kernels

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet (or two small baking sheets) with parchment or waxed paper.

Make the caramel sauce. In a small pot over medium-high heat, add the brown sugar and butter. Bring to a boil and cook about 4 minutes, remove from heat and stir in the half and half, vanilla and salt.

To a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the oil and 3 of the popcorn kernels, top with a lid and give the pot a shake side-to-side to coat the kernels. Once they begin to pop, add the remaining kernels and shake again to coat. When the popcorn starts popping, shake the pot frequently until the popping slows to a couple seconds apart.

Pour the popcorn onto the baking sheet, drizzle on the caramel sauce and stir to evenly distribute. Move to the oven to dry out for about 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Remove from the oven and cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container.

Cheesy Italian popcorn

Makes about 5 cups

Buttery, cheesy and herbaceous, this zesty version is more addictive than movie theater popcorn.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil

1/3 cup popcorn kernels

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup finely grated parmesan

Directions:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and then stir in the Italian seasoning.

To a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the oil and 3 of the popcorn kernels, top with a lid and give the pot a shake side-to-side to coat the kernels. Once they begin to pop, add the remaining kernels and salt and shake again to coat. When the popcorn starts popping, shake the pot frequently until the popping slows to a couple seconds apart. Remove the lid and pour immediately into a large bowl.

Slowly drizzle the butter and Italian seasoning mixture over the popcorn while stirring to evenly coat. Sprinkle on the parmesan and toss to evenly coat. Serve immediately.